Bake a Cupcake Bouquet

Our amazingly easy cupcake roses make a pretty bouquet for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or other special occasions.

Cupcakes Prepare boxed cake mix according to package directions and bake in 24 paper liners, being careful not to overfill the bake cups.

Frosting Tint two cans of frosting with food coloring. If you like, whip in a spoonful of vegetable shortening to help the frosting hold its shape.

Pot At a crafts store, purchase a foam ball that nestles in a smallish flower pot. (Our pot is about 6 inches in diameter.) Place scraps of Styrofoam or floral foam into the base of the pot to support the ball, making sure they fit snuggly. Insert a wooden skewer into the scraps, then firmly place the ball on the skewer.

Assembly Attach unfrosted cupcakes to the ball using cut wooden skewers. (Use two skewers per cupcake so they can’t twist around.) Tuck green tissue paper between the cupcakes to look like leaves and disguise gaps.

Decorating Fit a pastry bag with a large open star tip (such as Wilton’s 1M, available at crafts stores). Pipe a swirl on each cupcake, starting in the center and spiraling out. (Spiraling out is the key to it looking like a rose.)